My Choice
by Cara-mia567
Summary: "It's all that I ever wanted but, until now, has been impossible. Would the sacrifices be worth it? I have much to lose, but much to gain. The thing is, I will never be able to say goodbye." Esme has to make the ultimate decision in her life. Will she take the risk?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns characters

This is my story, hope you like it

Aro Pov

It's finally time to execute our plan. The Cullen Coven is too powerful. They have to be separated at all costs. If my plan works, we won't have to worry anymore. Their strong ties to each other will vanish. After all, what is a coven without it's leader?

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	2. Chapter 1

I'm so sorry that I'm late. Was out all day with my family yesterday so I'm gonna start updating on Saturdays.

Chapter 1

Esme pov

Done. Now all I have to do is let my painting dry before I hang it up. It's of my family on Nessie's birthday with all of us smiling at her while she blows out the candles on her cake. She has really grown quickly these past few years. She's only four, but looks like she's eleven or twelve. If only I could have my own... I love all of my children, of course, but it truly isn't the same.

I heard some footsteps and turned around, "Yes Bella?" "I wanted to give you this before we left for the cottage," she said. Nessie came up behind Bella and added, "I didn't know that we received mail here, or that anyone even knew our address."

"Thank you Bella," I said as I took the envelope from her, "we really aren't supposed to receive anything in the mail, but there is the occasional letter." "Also," Bella said, "Edward, Nessie, and I will be hunting tomorrow, so we'll see you on Thursday." "Alright," I said as I took the envelope, "goodnight girls, I'll see you on Thursday then," Bella replied, "goodnight Mom" while Nessie replied, "goodnight Grandma."

I beamed at them. I love it when I'm called Mom by any of my children and Grandma by Nessie. They left the house quickly afterwards. I finally looked at the envelope and it had, "To Carlisle and Esme Cullen," written on it in elegant script.

I ran up to Carlisle's office and knocked, come in," came his voice. I walked in and handed him the envelope, "Carlisle, what do you think this is? It came through the mail," "Well, let's open it and find out," was his reply. I smiled sheepishly as he smiled back, a bit amused, and gestured me towards him. I sat on his lap as he ripped open the envelope and began to read out loud'

"_Dear Friends,_

_ I, again, apologize the misunderstanding a few years ago concerning Renesmee. We have acquired a new member of the guard that might be of interest to you. My brothers and I extend an invitation for you to come for a week long visit in Volterra. Though, I'm afraid, that we won't be able to accommodate the entire family. the invitation is only extended to Carlisle and Esme. I hope to see you soon._

_Your Friend,_

_Aro"_

"What do we do?" I asked after a second of silence. "We can't say no, it's a literal summons," he said. I though for a moment, "Why would he want us there, we don't have powers that he wants and he only invited us." "We're going to have to hope for the best," he said. I stared at the letter contemplating what Aro plans to do. What does he think will be so interesting to us? There's a big change coming. I can feel it.

I hope you liked it! r&r


	3. Chapter 2

I know I really have to stop being late. I got homework everyday and I can't skip out on it. Sorry!

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all except plot

Chapter 2

Alice pov

I was discussing updating his wardrobe with Jasper when Esme and Carlisle's futures disappeared. Immediately, I ran to Carlisle's office and barged in.

I asked, "Carlisle, why have your and Esme's future disappeared?" Esme blanched. Everyone had heard me and ran into the office as well. Edward, Bella, and Nessie appeared seconds after.

Everyone was trying to speak at once and that lead to arguments and angry vampires. "Quiet!" yelled Carlisle while Jasper tried to calm everyone down.

"We'll have a family meeting so that Esme and I can inform you of what's going on." Everyone shuffled out of the office and went into the rarely used dining room.

Edward pov

Bella, Nessie, and I were heading home when I heard Alice repeating in her head "_I cant see. Why cant I see?" _

"Love, I think that we should head back to the main house. Alice is upset over something and she's no letting me see what." Bella and Nessie smiled and nodded before we ran back.

When we got closer to the house we heard Alice ask, "Carlisle, why have your and Esme's futures disappeared?" Bella and I exchanged a glance and ran faster to figure out what was going on.

The entire family got to Carlisle's office within seconds of each-other and immediately started talking at once. "_Out of all the things... He wouldn't try to kill us, would he?" _I looked at Esme confused and she smiled and shook her head at me.

"Quiet!" yelled Carlisle while Jasper tried to calm everyone down. "Let's have a family meeting so that Esme and I can inform you of what's going on," he continued. We all immediately headed for the dining room. "_How am I supposed to tell them this without alarming them?" _thought Carlisle.

What were they going to tell us? It was as if they don't really want us to know. Then I saw it, the object that had changed everything in mere seconds. A letter, but this one was from Aro.

Bella's eyes widened and she said, "That's the letter that Nessie and I gave to you before we left. It had reminded me a little that we had received when Aro sent his congratulations for Edward's and my engagement, but I didn't say anything."

Everyone except for Nessie and Esme looked at her in surprise. "I was right, wasn't I?" she asked. Esme looked at her sadly and nodded.

Emmett exploded and yelled out, "We still don't know what's going on!"

Carlisle sighed and started, "The letter is from the Volturi," we all flinched, "Aro specifically, and he invited us to the castle for a visit." I looked at him for a second and asked, "Who is 'us' exactly?"

Carlisle sighed again and said, "Only Esme and myself. He doesn't want you there for some reason." "Isn't that a bit suspicious?" Alice asked, "especially after what happened a few years ago with Nessie?"

"Alice, there isn't a possible way for Esme and I to decline. Look and see what happens if Esme and I decide not to go?" Carlisle asked. Alice's eyed went blank for a second and she replied quietly, "They would come here."

Rosalie stood up, suddenly enraged, "So what? We bend to their every will? I we do that, we might as well join them!" she yelled as Emmett and Jasper tried to calm her down.

"I'm trying to protect my family as best as I can, but sometimes there's only so much that you can do," Carlisle stated. " We will go and there isn't to be a discussion about it anymore. While we're gone, you are to behave in the correct manner that we taught you to," said Esme.

"But why have your futures disappeared?" asked Alice. "For that," said Carlisle tiredly, "we have no answer. All that we can do is hope that we'll come home safely."

I heard Bella's thoughts, _"Why do I get the feeling that they won't come back at all?" _As I read all of my siblings' thoughts, I realized that we all felt the same way.

Thanks for reading! R&R


	4. Chapter 3

I am so sorry but I couldn't keep writing because I had no clue as to where I wanted the story to go. I have a better idea now so I will be updating more frequently and I promise to try not to disappear for long again!

*Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters as I am not Stephanie Meyer (girl could always wish)

Chapter 3

Aro pov

They'll be here in three days' time, or we'll have to go to them. This might start a fight, but we'll be ready. All I know is that one way or another, they'll have to come. Whether they go back to their "family" is their decision.

Esme pov

We wrote Aro a letter saying that we'll be there in three days. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back. We would have left right away if it weren't for Carlisle's job and everything else we have to get situated for while we're gone.

It's the day we leave today and I'm not ready to leave. I just have to check the luggage one last time… "Isn't that the seventh time you check the luggage?" I turn around and smile at Carlisle sheepishly. "You know I can't help it," I reminded him. He just smiled at me.

It's not the first time that I get carried away with something like this and it won't be the last. "Don't worry, we'll just go and figure out what it is that Aro wants and then we'll leave," said Carlisle. I looked at him and asked, "Then why does everyone feel that we won't come back? Why can't Alice see us?"

Everyone has been worrying about it; the idea that we won't come back. We're a family unit; we won't function properly without all of us. Just look at what happened when we left Bella. It's one of the things that I have promised myself that won't happen again. Carlisle sighed and said, "Like I said before, I don't have a clue and all we can do is hope that we'll come home safely."

I know that they were all listening in. I also know the question that they all hold in their mind: _but what if we don't? _

Edward pov

She was right. The question that all of my siblings, my wife, and myself hold in our minds is _what if they don't come home_? What then? We all know that we just have to keep going on like normal, but it won't be the same. How am I supposed to explain to Renesme that they won't come back if they don't?

We were all waiting in the living room for Esme and Carlisle to come down and say goodbye before they leave for Italy. Alice still didn't want them to leave but we couldn't risk the Volturi coming here. We just all sat there silent as we heard them move about upstairs and zip the last suitcase and then all stood up and turned towards the staircase as we heard their footsteps coming down. (A/N: I hate writing in his pov because I can never think of what to put for others' thoughts but I have to because of individual components I want to add in)

Alice pov

I still can't see anything! I felt half blind as they just moved around just because I don't know exactly what they are going to do. Sure it seems like I'm being too controlling, but in this context it's important because they're going to be all the way to Italy and we have no clue what Aro is going to do.

I open my mouth to try to change their mind but Edward catches my eye and shakes his head, indicating that they won't change their minds and that it's a wasted effort. I sigh heavily and say it anyway, "Why can't you stay and we can hide somewhere where they won't be able to find us?" I got the same response, "Alice, we can't hide forever," Carlisle started, "Besides, hiding forever isn't living a good life," Esme concluded.

It's so typical for Esme to be on the brink of something so dangerous and still be worrying about our well-being, but it still wasn't fair. I looked at her with venom filled eyes and couldn't help it anymore. I ran to her and gave her a suffocating hug. I then said something that shocked everyone. "I had a vision, it wasn't pretty," I whispered.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I only own the plot

_I looked at her with venom filled eyes and couldn't help it anymore. I ran to her and gave her a suffocating hug. I then said something that shocked everyone. "I had a vision, it wasn't pretty," I whispered._

Alice pov

This, of course, caused an uproar which included Rosalie yelling at me and accusing Edward of keeping secrets with Emmett trying to calm her down and Edward denying knowing anything while everyone else looked at me disappointedly for keeping such secrets, but they didn't know what I did.

It took a while before it was quiet again and now they all looked at me expectantly. I decided to just get it all out. "It's not that it wasn't pretty but more like something that we wouldn't want to happen. The first vision was of us without Carlisle and Esme in about five years, it wasn't the same and no one was acting like themselves. The second one was in about fifteen years and Carlisle and Esme were here along with someone else that they didn't seem to know but we did. The thing is, we were all angry at Carlisle and Esme for some reason. Renesme was even all grown up and married to the mutt," I said.

Then Rosalie burst, "So let me get this straight, Carlisle and Esme will disappear for about fifteen years in which time we will meet another vampire and when they come back, we'll be mad at them for some unknown reason?"

"Correct except for one small detail," I replied. "What is that?' she asked/screamed at me. "Esme was crying," I turned to look at Esme while I said this, "tears, but she wasn't human." Then Bella finally spoke up.

Bella pov

"I don't know and I don't understand. I know I'm the youngest with the exception of Renesme but I feel that I see something that the rest of you don't. Aro wants them in Volterra for some reason and from what I heard it seems that he won't hurt them. That being said, I think that the reason he wants them there is to offer them something to get them to agree to separate with us so the only thing that we need to do is to make sure that Carlisle and Esme are ready to decline anything that they will offer, which probably won't be much. Right?" I looked at everyone expectantly.

They all seemed shocked at what I had concluded. It's a little annoying that after everything I can still surprise them. I waited for everyone to collect their thoughts. Then Carlisle asked me, "How did you conclude that?"

"Well, Alice says that the next time that we will supposedly see you will be in fifteen years and that when we do, we'll be mad at you and Esme. The only thing that would cause us to be mad at you would be if you left us by choice which can be possible because from what Alice said, it seems possible that something was different about Esme and possibly Carlisle as well. The only thing that I can't account for is the other person, but I'm not the one who can see the future," I answered.

Rosalie looked at me and said, "I think you're right about all but one thing. What they've got to offer must bed big because it would be enough for Carlisle and Esme to leave us and they wouldn't offer it without being fully positive that it will work because Marcus knows how strong all of our bonds are. They have to be ready to say no to anything."

We all looked at Carlisle then and he nodded and said, "Rosalie's right, it must be big for Marcus to think that it will separate us, but why would they want to?" Jasper answered that question, "Isn't it obvious? We are the biggest coven next to the Volturi and we can put together the biggest army that could actually challenge them. We're a threat."

Then Emmett said what we all knew that he would say, "So why don't we just kill them all. You know we can take them." "As appealing that could be, we can't. All we can do now is make sure that Carlisle and Esme decline whatever they offer. They also need to leave soon or else they will miss their plane and they will decide to come here, which we don't want," I said, reminding them of the time.

Everyone was surprised at how quickly the time had gone by but no one could do anything about it. By this point we didn't know what to expect Carlisle and Esme are leaving and we don't know whether or not they'll be coming back.

Esme pov

I look at all of them with tears that will never fall in my eyes. I envelop Edward in a huge hug and tell him to take care of Bella and Renesme. They're next and I tell them each to be careful and not watch over everyone else. I tell Alice not to worry because even if we leave, we'll be together again.

I tell Emmett to try not to break any furniture and to listen to Bella and Edward. I tell Rosalie not to worry either because I know that no matter what she'll end up being angry. I then tell Jasper to try to keep Alice under control and to make sure that Rosalie doesn't kill anyone.

I don't tell them how much I'll miss them because they already know. "Good bye everyone, we'll be back as soon as we can be," says Carlisle before he goes out the door with the suitcases. He was saying goodbye as I was. I look at them one last time and say, "Know that we love you no matter what."

I sobbed tearlessly in the car on the way to the airport.

Hope you like it. r&r!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the plot

Esme pov

I stared out of the window of the plane. We were in first class which Carlisle insisted on. I left my children. Even though I knew what would probably happen, I left them. Other than Carlisle, they were the one thing that I have all of my existence, children. I knew that they weren't exactly mine and that they weren't children anymore, but as long as they would need someone to take care of them I would be there.

Until now. Now we are going to the Volturi against our will and can't do anything about it. What is it that Aro thinks would be able to tear us apart from our family? I look at Carlisle and notice that he has the same question in his eyes.

"Carlisle, why would they ever believe that we would be able to leave our family?" I asked. He took a deep breath and said, "They think that they can offer us something greater, something that we would value more." Do they think that we're materialistic, even after all of these years?" I asked appalled. "They know that we're not materialistic because what would anything like that mean to us when we can buy anything?" he responded.

"This is why I have a theory. I believe that what they will offer us will not be materialistic, but something that we will actually value. The question is what, but it shouldn't matter anyway because nothing is as valuable as our family. We have to be ready to say no immediately no matter what," he continued.

"We will say no because nothing is as valuable as our family," I said with complete conviction. I started looking out the window again we have to be completely positive of what we have to do. But again, what would they offer us that would cause us to leave our family?

Rosalie pov

They're gone. Even though they know that they might not come back, at least for a while, they left to protect us. They were the only real parents that I had. My own parents only cared about their image. Now our family isn't complete.

I look at Emmett and see my husband. I look at Alice and Bella and see sisters. Jasper and Edward are my brothers. Renesme is my adorable niece. Then Esme and Carlisle were my parents. They took care of me. The only thing missing were some children of my own, but that is impossible.

But now, Carlisle and Esme were gone too. We can take care of ourselves, but that's not the point. The point is that one very essential part of our family is gone. The one who brought us together and the one who kept us together is gone. If it were up to me, I would go to Volterra myself and fight them all off, but that would endanger the rest of the family because I am sure they would not let me go off by myself.

Now we're all somewhere in the house thinking: what are we going to do? As soon as they left Alice has announced that she could no longer see them except for her vision which will supposedly occur in fifteen years.

Truthfully, I just want to leave and not show up until they will, but I can't. I would miss Renesme growing up and Emmett wouldn't be happy with not being around the family. We also have to figure out our new cover up. We can't stay in forks any longer and when we move again, we're bound to attract some attention. Seven teenagers (including the mutt that can't stay away from Nessie) and a beautiful little girl moving into a mansion with no adults. Questions will be asked.

For now, we will wait for a week to make sure that they won't come back because it's still possible. After that, we'll have to send in Carlisle's proper resignation and get the proper papers to leave again. Now, we wait.

Alice pov

All I can see is our meeting in fifteen years. Once or twice I saw a flash of long blond hair. That was all I saw. I also kept seeing images of a brunette who looks surprisingly a lot like Jasper. But that won't come until later. I saw that Carlisle and Esme might come back. All we can do is wait.

Carlisle pov

The plane has landed and we've gotten off. Now we're waiting for our luggage. I look at Esme and say, "Calm down. We'll go in, refuse his offer, and go home." She looked up at me and said, "Then why do I feel that we won't see the kids for a very long time?" I stayed silent.

I find the luggage and take it before I lead Esme to go find the driver that was sent for us. I look around and see Demitri with a sign that said 'Cullen'. We went to him and he took our suitcases before directing us to the car and putting them in and beginning to drive to Volterra.

I look at Esme worriedly almost the entire time. I finally sigh and look away and see that we are approaching the castle. Demitri then stops the car and lets us out where we can see Jane. She silently leads us through to the throne room. We pass the receptionist and Jane leads us through the room. We hear Aro's delighted voice call, "Welcome to Volterra!"

A/N: I just couldn't add dialogue towards the end because of the solemn tone I wanted for this part.

Thanks for reading! r&r!


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